Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Cisco's Trees around a pond

Cisco
Fingerling


Registered: August 20, 2009
Posts: 1
Loc: Cisco,TX
I'm not sure how to post anew topic being a newbie and all but i'd like to ask what type of trees would be good to put in around my new pond. It's pretty sparse around it right now due to it being newly renovated. I did put some PVC strutures in the bottom before all the rain started but I'd like to have some shade trees or something around the edge. It's not full yet so now would be a good time i think or should I wait till spring and hope it doesn't fill all the way.

Thanks for any help,
B

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CJBS2003
Lunker


Registered: January 19, 2009
Posts: 3635
Loc: Stafford, VA

Cisco, welcome to the forum...

To start a new topic, click on the appropriate sub forum. For your current question, the sub forum would most likely be "Creating Habitat". Once you click on Creating Habitat, look at the top left and click "New Topic". A box should open where you can title it and then ask a question or post info...

I am sure a moderator will read this and might just be able to move this post for you, so more people read it and you can get the info you are looking for.
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I moved the text to its own thread.

Dwight
Lunker


Registered: December 06, 2004
Posts: 2328
Loc: Southwestern Minnesota

Welcome to the Forum Cisco! I will ask one of the moderators to move your question to it's own thread so you can get some good information. Being from Minnesota I don't know what trees would work for you in Texas.

Again, Welcome!
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Here are a couple that might help.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post98568

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post52401

Can you guys from TX help Cisco on this topic?

Ewest,
Thanks for your help. I'll get this figured out. I'm glad i found this site. There is a WEALTH of info here. Me being a new pond owner, it blows me away.
Thanks again,

Welcome aboard. We will get some TX tree answers. Those links have some things to think about.

Shade trees. It's hard to beat a good old Oak tree. They do take a while to grow though. I have quite a few Hickory trees around my pond they are decent for shade but you do have to mess with the Hickory nuts some. Whatever you do I would not put pine trees near by. They don't hold very well and can fall over on you pretty easy when the ground gets soggy. Oh and welcome to the group.

Cisco, what are you looking for from your trees?

Shade, aesthetics, wildlife value, a combination? Are these trees being planted directly on the shore or further away?

Cisco, your county agent would probably be an invaluable source for the information you need regarding shade, fruit and nut trees. Booklets are readily available there that will take into account your exact location. His office would likely be located at the courthouse of your county seat

I'm looking for a little bit of everything. I'll be building a house on a hill overlooking the pond next year. The trees don't need to all that close to the water but right now, there is nothing there but mesquites. I do have quite a few live oaks on the place but not near the pond. It looks like we might be getting more rain in a week or so. with enough, the new hole will fill up before spring!
Thanks for the help. I'd post some pics but i don't have a website.

Some of my recommendations for your area of Texas:


Pecan, Carya illinoensis
Bald Cypress, Taxodium disticum
Live Oak, Quercus virginiana
Cedar Elm, Ulmus crassifolia
Chinese Pistache, Pistachia chinensis
Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis
Shumard Oak, Quercus shumardii
Vitex, Vitex agnus-castus

They should all do well in your part of Texas. Some are showy, others provide for wildlife. As others have said, check with your county agent though, they may be able to give your more and better advice.

Thanks CJBS. I do have a couple of pecans on the place now. I'll look into that and the Willow. I'm guessing I should keep the away from the waters edge huh? The ponds been pretty muddy from the rain but I talked to some of Lusk's people and he said the muddy water doesn't affect the fish growing like the should. I'll do a water/jar test in a few weeks to see about intorducing some alum to clear it up and then start stocking.
Thanks again!!

The bald cypress can actually be planted in the water or right next to it...

Cisco, your area can have pretty shallow soil, but if there are native pecans, then you also have some deeper loamy soils as well. Personally, I would stay away from Willows. You will be fighting them anyway trying to come up along the bank. They are very fast growing, weak trees. It's really hard to beat the oak family. Red Oak for fall color and Burr oak and Chinquapin oak for variety. Live oaks are ok, but require pruning. The Bald Cypress have nice fall color and can be planted next to the pond or in the shallow end. The Elms will drip sap(so called p*ss elms) much like the Pecans. Here are pics of fairly young trees I have planted over the last 12 years, This is a Shumardi Red oak



this is a Burr Oak and the large acorns they have




This is a Chinquapin Oak that's been planted for one year and hasn't started filling out yet, along with a picture of the bark




These are Bald Cypress right along the pond bank. They have been planted about 10 years. They are succeptable to bag worms and get knotty growths on their roots that surface, but are a fine tree



Hope this helps...du

DU, how old is the bur oak? I am considering planting a few, but don't wanna wait 30 years to see any acorns. If they produce faster than that, I may plant some.

Ditto. I've seen Burr Oak up here, but the acorns weren't anywhere that size. Are there two species of Burr Oak??

Bur oaks have the largest acorn of any species of North American oak that I know of... They are not commonly found in the wild in my area. I have seen some planted specimens that are quite large and old. Most of the acorns I have seen were rather impressive in size as I recall. I do not recall there being any subspecies or cultivars. As with any oak, tree age, health etc can affect the final acorn size.

Bur oaks are a member of the white oak family and thus their acorns are highly preferred by deer and other wildlife.

There is a Burr Oak at the Sporting Clays range, and it's acorns are at the most 1" across (not measuring the cup, just the nut). I've seen some from down South and the nut is a good 1 1/2" across!

White Oaks don't have as much tannic acid as the Reds, and aren't as bitter. IIRC, White Oaks produce acorns every year where Red Oaks take 2 years for the acorns to fully develope.

Yes, white oak acorns have less tannins which makes them sweeter. Their acorns also mature in 1 year while red oaks take 2 years to mature. That is why some years where there is a late frost, the reds will drop acorns as their partially mature acorns weren't affected by the frost where as the white oak catkins were frost killed. However, the following year, the reds won't produce but the whites may have a bumper crop. That is why it is important if you are managing timber for deer and other wildlife to try to diversify and make sure you have oaks from both families. Red oaks can produce acorns every year, they just require 2 years for their acorns to mature.

Sawtooth oak, Quercus acutissima a species from Korea and China, it is a member of neither the white nor red oak family but rather a family known as the Cerris oaks which have no members native to North America. The sawtooth oak produces acorns rather fast, is fast growing, hardy and the deer and turkeys love the acorns. I would suspect the sawtooth oak would do quite well is most areas of eastern Texas. Pennsylvania is about as far north as they can be expected to reliably do well. Their leaves look a lot like a chestnut tree's leaves.

Another couple of choices would be Texas ash(make sure it is really a Texas ash) and Texas persimmon(small multitrunk wildlife tree). Don't pass on the Desert Willow. It is a small multitrink tree with nice showy flowers. It is becoming a popular landscape tree in DFW. Burr oaks are really cool when they start making acorns.

Never been to Texas, but I hear the Texas persimmon is pretty cool. Turns your teeth black from eating them. I've read non ripe ones will pucker you up even worse than a common persimmon and that is hard to believe!

You could just plant trees with Texas in their name!

Texas Persimmon
Texas Ash
Texas Oak

Not sure if there is a Texas elm or chestnut, but heck it wouldn't surprise me!

I'm glad you all mentioned the persimmon. I don't recall seeing any in the nurseries, but they are native and grow wild. This is one of many on my place


They don't grow as large as oaks. They are one of the first trees to change color and drop their leaves. The persimmons are starting to ripen now, and your right, you won't try a green one but once The persimmon jams are an aquired taste that I haven't aquired yet, kind of like country ham.

David, is that one a Texas or a common? I have never seen a Texas persimmon in person, but that one in the photo looks much like a common persimmon. We usually wait til at least 3 good freezes until we eat them. Otherwise your mouth is gonna pucker! It seems like the more ripe and mushy they get, the better they taste. I know the deer, coons, turkeys and just about everything else out there loves to eat them!

I know bucks love persimmons... This one the buck make scrapes under every year.

Your right .. coyotes really like them. They will put their front feet on the trunk of little trees and shake the persimmons off..